Bloodthirsty Iraqi terrorists said yesterday they had captured a Marine after luring him from his base – and would behead him unless all Iraqi prisoners were freed.

A chilling video broadcast on the al-Jazeera TV network showed a blindfolded man in military fatigues who had a ID card identifying him as an “active duty” Marine named Wassef Ali Hassoun who holds the rank of corporal.

The terrifying video showed a sword being held ominously above Hassoun’s head.

Al-Jazeera said the terrorists claimed they had infiltrated a Marine outpost, lured Hassoun outside and abducted him.

The thugs demanded the release of all Iraqis “in occupation jails” or he would be beheaded.

The U.S. command said a corporal with that name has been missing from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force since June 21, but could not confirm he was the hostage in the video.

The command said Hassoun was of Lebanese descent – not Pakistani, as al-Jazeera reported.

The threat of yet another beheading cast a shadow over President Bush’s visit to Turkey for a two-day NATO summit that begins today.

The group identified itself as Islamic Response, the security wing of the National Islamic Resistance – 1920 Revolution Brigades, referring to the Iraqi uprising against the British after World War I.

Islamic Response, which has claimed responsibility for previous anti-American attacks, was first heard from Aug. 12, when it claimed the United States was hiding its casualty tolls in Iraq to help Bush’s re-election chances.

The video was the second broadcast yesterday that claimed to show the abduction of someone of Pakistani origins.

Earlier, in footage shown on the al-Arabiya network, a unnamed Iraqi group claimed it had seized a Pakistani truck driver working for a U.S. company.

The group vowed to behead him in 72 hours unless America released Iraqi prisoners.

And Saturday, followers of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – the most wanted Islamic militant in Iraq – said they had kidnapped three Turkish workers and would behead them in three days unless Turkish companies stopped doing business with U.S. forces in Iraq.

Turkey refused to bow to the demands.

“Turkey has been fighting terrorist activity for more than 20 years,” said Defense Minister Vecdi Gonulin. “They ask many things, they demand many things. We never consider them with seriousness.”

It was unclear if either group of kidnappers in yesterday’s videos was linked to Zarqawi, who claims responsibility for the decapitations of American Nicholas Berg and South Korean Kim Sun-il.

Elsewhere, Iraqi guerrillas raked a U.S. military C-130 transport plane with small arms fire after it took off from Baghdad airport. An American passenger was killed.

A rocket attack on a U.S. base on Baghdad’s outskirts killed a soldier.

With Post Wire Services

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Stolen lives

More than 40 people from several countries have been abducted in Iraq since April, including a Pakistani civilian employee of American firm, Kellogg, Brown & Root, who went missing on Saturday and Army Pfc. Keith Matthew Maupin, who was grabbed on April 9 outside of Baghdad and is still unaccounted for.

Thomas Hamill, a civilian employee of Kellogg, Brown & Root, was taken by masked gunmen on April 9, 50 miles north of Abu Ghraib. He escaped from his captors on May 2.

As Iraq heads towards the return of sovereignty this week, hostage incidents have escalated. Here are some of the high-profile incidents:

* Marine Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun

Taken by: Islamic Response Movement

Abducted: June 27, location unknown

Stated Demand: The release of all Iraqis in “occupation jails.”

Outcome: Pending

* Paul Johnson, a civilian engineer from New Jersey

Abducted: June 12 in Saudi Arabia

Stated Demand: Withdrawal of U.S. forces from the kingdom

Outcome: Johnson was beheaded on June 18.

* Nick Berg, civilian

Abducted: April 9

Stated Demand: Abduction was in response to Abu Ghraib scandal

Outcome: Berg was beheaded on May 11

* Kim Sun-il, a South Korean businessman

Abducted: June 17 in Fallujah

Stated Demand: Withdrawal of South Korean troops

Resolution: He was beheaded on June 22.

* Four U.S. civilians

Taken by: Unknown insurgents

Abducted: March 31 in Fallujah

Stated Demand: None

Outcome: All four were killed. The burned bodies of two were hung off a bridge.